Tom Smith: Former Scotland and British & Irish Lions prop dies

Tom Smith and his family presented the match ball before Scotland's November loss to South Africa

Former Scotland prop Tom Smith will be remembered as one of the best players to represent both his nation and the British & Irish Lions, says Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend.

Smith, who was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer in 2019, has died aged 50.

He won 67 caps and was instrumental in both Scotland's 1999 Five Nations title and the Lions' 1997 series win against world champions South Africa.

"He was a one-off," Townsend said.

Speaking on Thursday's Good Morning Scotland, former team-mate and close friend Townsend added: "He was so tough, so skilful and so resilient that he was able to play at a high level later in his career.

"He helped Scotland on a number of occasions. I remember a World Cup in 2003, if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have got to the quarter-finals.

"He was a great player for our country. But to start six Lions Tests in a row, not many players from Scotland have done that."

Fellow former team-mate Rob Wainwright said Smith "had everything" and "defined what it is to be mentally and physically strong".

• Smith inducted into Scottish Rugby Hall of Fame

• 'Scotland's quiet colossus who showed strength every day'

'Scotland's greatest ever prop'

Revered coach Sir Ian McGeechan, who coached Smith both at Scotland and with the Lions, hailed him has his nation's "greatest ever prop".

Ranking the former Glasgow Warrior in the top five Scottish players of all time, McGeechan told BBC Scotland: "You need to rate Tom not just as a player, but as a man - and he sits top of the pile for me on that."

In November, Smith travelled from his home in France to Edinburgh to be inducted into Scottish Rugby's Hall of Fame, and presented the match ball before the Scots' autumn loss to South Africa at Murrayfield.

He captained his country during an eight-year Test career and was a hugely influential figure at club level for Brive and Northampton Saints until his retirement in 2009.

Smith coached at Edinburgh and Lyon in France before stepping back from the game in the wake of his cancer diagnosis in November 2019.

Until the 2021 tour of South Africa, he had been the last Scot to start a Lions Test match, having been selected for six in a row during 1997 and 2001.

Renowned as a powerful, technical scrummager despite his modest 5ft 10ins, 16st frame, Smith was years ahead of his time in possessing remarkable footballing skill.

Jim Telfer, McGeechan's legendary coaching colleague, said he was "a rugby player first and a prop second".

"He was never compromised when he had the ball in his hands," Telfer added. "He could move it quickly or take the player on or hold it up. His skill was the thing I remember with Tom.

"You could play a different kind of game when he was in the team.

"He could be a link player but was still a solid servant in the scrums and line-outs. He was always a very good scrummager - he was the ideal shape because he had the bulk as well."